Category: Uncategorized

Mark 12:34
  This scribe did not attempt to hide his answer, that is not the meaning of the word ‘discreet’. It means that this man was very careful and thoughtful about his answer. Yes, he reiterated what Jesus had said, but he put it in his own words. Thus, he applied himself and actually put some effort into his answer. This solicited a response from Jesus because it was rare.

Heavenly Father, thank you for listening to us. We don’t normally think about it, but you are the best listener there is. You love us so much! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:33
The key here is that this man realized the truth that to obey is better than sacrifice. He saw that the spirit of the law was found in these two primary commands. He realized that all of the rest was just the system connected with these two vital truths.
  In our day we have many who would try to cling tenaciously to the Golden Rule as we call it. But, yet, they will not submit to the idea of loving and serving the Lord. You cannot have one without the other.

Heavenly Father, you have done so much for us. You have given us the truth. May we not only just take the truth and try to make it meet our ends. We must accept it all. Thank you for it! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:32
The scribe was a wise man and didn’t try to argue against the truth. God alone is to be worshipped as supreme, for there is no other God. Why would this man do this? I think he was intrigued by Christ. Talking to him was different from talking to the other Jews.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your good wisdom for our lives. You are so kind to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:31
Though we call this the Golden Rule, the Bible’s name for it is the Royal Law. Take a look at James 2:8. This is where we find James talking about how we should treat others. This law is the very heart of what it means to act like a Christian. To live out of keeping with it is to miss the very core of Jesus’s message. As he says here, these two laws are the foundation for all else.

Heavenly Father, you have given us a very clear call. We can see from these two laws the manner of persons we are supposed to be. Thank you for giving us such a summary that really gives us the whole thing in a nutshell. Though the rest is absolutely necessary and helpful to our lives, it helps us focus to have this straightforward statement. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:30
How can we delineate between loving the Lord with ‘all’ of each of these things? Is loving the Lord with all of our heart different from loving him with all of our soul? To answer this we really have to start with the meaning of love. These words make it obvious that this is not simply an emotional love. The love here is agape love. It is an unconditional choice. It is not a fair-weather love, it is ‘all-in’ devotion. It does not naturally come from fallen humanity. It requires help from God to even practice this kind of love.
Thus, when we consider the meaning of love, the other words begin to make much more sense. Loving the Lord with the heart and soul will lead to an emotional response, but that is only part of what it will do. Loving the Lord with our mind and strength will cause an active, reasoned, response, but that is not all that it will do. Love from these sources involves the entire individual. Nothing gets left out, and the relationship with God becomes foremost and all-encompassing.

Heavenly Father, may we love you as we should! Our love is so often only limited. We find part of our being to give to you. Usually it is the part most visible to others. But, that is not what you want. You want our entire devotion. You are worthy of it, and you have every right to demand it. I know that we will find loving you is the best choice we could ever make. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:29
This is the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4. The Jews knew it well, and it is a foundation of the Jewish way of life and thinking. Jesus, being Jewish himself, did not leave this off of the commandment for several reasons.
  For one, the Jews would have found it quite offensive I am sure. It seemed more complete and respectful to say the whole thing. Also, Jesus is not in the habit of shortening the Scripture to save time like we are today. We tend to shorten the Lord’s words and embellish our own.
The Shema establishes the oneness of Almighty God. Of course many say this is inconsistent with the doctrine of the Trinity. However, to deny the reality of the Trinity, you have to do some mighty heavy cutting out of things, both in the Old and New Testament. In the New, you have to change much of the story and teachings of Christ. In the Old, you have to disregard plurals used to refer to God and interpret away any hints at the compound oneness of the Godhead. The Spirit of God, the Lord, and the LORD, all have to be exactly the same. Or you have to come up with some sort of artificial delineation.

Heavenly Father, the truth is what makes you so wonderful! We see over and over how that you have made everything well. You are One indeed. There is no disagreement in you. You are perfectly balanced at all times. There is no separation or disunity in you. And through Christ, we have fellowship with you in your glory. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:28
This man was quite interested in Jesus. He was used to hearing answers, and questions, that were not so well thought out as Jesus’s. He was inspired. He was challenged. He was encouraged.
His question is one of the few that Jesus faced that was actually meant to be legitimate. It doesn’t seem that this man was trying to trap Jesus. Instead he was actually trying to test his knowledge and see what Jesus knew.

Heavenly Father, we are surrounded by so many people who don’t even want to think about your truth. We are surrounded by lies and false assumptions. But, we know that you want us to have your truth, that you want us to know the truth. Thank you for the Lord Jesus, who is the truth himself. May we live in him always! We love you father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:27
   For those who live in the kingdom of darkness there is but one option, death. There is nothing else. The adversary can bring no other blessing, and of course it is not a blessing. Life belongs to almighty God. No one else may impart it. He is the God of the living. Any other course than following his will, ends only in death.
   And death itself is not an end. Because God has life in his hand, he has the power to resurrect even the evil for judgement. He is the one to be feared, he is the one to be loved. To miss this, is to greatly err.

Heavenly Father, thank you for telling us your truth, and allowing us to partake in life. You have all the power in heaven and on earth. But you have the power of life, and that is ultimate. No matter what else someone might do life is all that matters. We praise you for your awesome goodness, power, and wisdom. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:27
   Jesus is very clear here. The Sadducees were totally incorrect, and he told them so. He was not afraid to tell them how wrong they were.
   This is really quite an interesting interchange because this question was not as dangerous as many of the others which Jesus was asked. The Pharisees would agree with him about the reality of the resurrection. However, it is very unlikely that they ever thought of his solution to the problem.

Heavenly Father, you are the Holy God of all. Life itself is in your hands. And, we know that we live only because that is your will. Life is up to you. You own it and maintain it. Thank you for giving us life here, and in the world to come! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:26
   Jesus, unsurprisingly, offers a unique, and irrefutable, explanation for the reality of the resurrection. This answer not only settles the question once and for all, but also gives great hope to his people. Life is God’s intention. Ultimate final death will only be the fate of those who resist God.

Heavenly Father, the hope we have in Christ is our motivation. When we think of the original paradise we are inspired. But when we think of the future you have promised us, we are overwhelmed with joy. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.